Are We Doing What We Ask Our Customers To Do?
For over a year now, we have encouraged Anaheim residents and businesses to conserve water and adopt more efficient water use habits.
Earlier this summer, encouragement gave way to a greater sense of urgency as our wholesale suppliers announced water supply cutbacks of 3.5%--enough to serve 5,200 homes for a year.
So, how did Anaheim respond?
For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2009, Anaheim water customers cut water use by 5%, or a billion gallons versus the same period ending June 30, 2008. This year, reduction was more than enough to offset the supply cutback.
However, our customers' achievement left an interesting, if not unsettling question for us: "Are We Doing What We Ask Our Customers To Do?" How could we continue to ask our customers to invest in water efficiency if we do not do the same? As you read on, you will find that we did indeed "walk the talk". In particular, Anaheim's City government cut water use by more than 9% from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 versus the same period ending June 30, 2008.
Also, this is not a one-time phenomenon. Thanks to a portfolio of water saving projects, Anaheim's City government has, and should continue to, become a more efficient water user for many years to come. Find out more about our efforts and how you can help in this edition of the Pipeline.
Sincerely,
Marcie L. Edwards Anaheim Public Utilities General Manager |
City Government Responds to Drought, Leads by Using Less Water in 2009 |
In 2009, Anaheim's City government did exactly what we have been asking residents and businesses to do: reduce water use.
For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2009, total water use at all Anaheim City government facilities, which includes buildings, parks, and golf courses, fell by 9% or 124 million gallons versus the same period a year ago. Total water use for the 2009 period was about 1.2 billion gallons.
By comparison, total water use throughout Anaheim fell by a billion gallons (or 5.3%) to 22.2 billion gallons on a year-over-year basis during the period.
This means that Anaheim's City government contributed about 12% of the total water saved in Anaheim (124 million gallons out of 1 billion saved), even though it only makes up 6% of the total water use citywide.
In short, not only did Anaheim's City government save water in 2009, it did it's fair share of water conservation - and more.
"Overall, the City took a portfolio approach to saving water, from installing high efficiency plumbing fixtures and water-saving landscaping to sophisticated weather- based irrigation systems," said Rick Shintaku, Water Planning and Resources Manager.
This approach worked to the tune of 8% water savings at City buildings, 11.5% at parks, and 10% at golf courses.
With drought conditions continuing, Anaheim's City government has a pipeline of projects that could realize additional water savings in 2010 and help Anaheim reach it's goal to save another billion gallons. To learn more about these projects, please read the next article or click here. |
Projects and Practices: How the City Continues to Lower it's Water Use |
The table below provides further information on how the City has and will continue to save water. Have a water-saving idea for the City? Contact Jarred Ross at [email protected].
FACILITIES
Convention Center: To-date, installed 350 toilets, 200 urinals, and 9 cooling towers that will save water. Implementing other water efficiency recommendations as well. City Hall: Recently completed refurbishment project included water saving dual flush toilets and sensor-activated faucets. Lenain Water Treatment Plant: Installed a SmarTimer irrigation system expected to reduce landscape watering by 25%. Grove Theater: Installed water-efficient irrigation systems and drought-tolerant plants. Waterbrooms: Pressurized water devices that use 75% less water to clean paved surfaces at parks, buildings, and golf courses. Low-flush toilets: Over the past five years, toilets throughout City facilities have been retrofitted with low-flush models.
GOLF COURSES
Anaheim Hills Golf Course: Ongoing master plan may include stream flow recycling and bioswales or landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff, and drought-tolerant plants. Dad Miller Golf Course: Water audit recommends the installation of nearly 1,000 large rotating nozzles for the irrigation system that could save up to 5.8 MG per year. Practices:
- Reduced winter watering to three to four times per week.
- Using waterbrooms for paved surface cleaning.
- Invested in water saving devices such as low flush toilets.
PARKS (Including streets and the Anaheim Resort Area)
SmarTimer: Installed a centralized irrigation controller for all parks in 2004, which has produced water savings of over 20%. Artificial Turf: Installed 65,000 square feet of artificial turf at the Energy Field that will save 2.9 MG per year. Artificial turf planned for La Palma Park by January 2010. Toro 60 Day Challenge: Currently participating in a pilot project to test irrigation devices that could reduce water use by 30% in 60 days. Founder's Park: New underground irrigation system that prevents runoff and overspray by irrigating at the root level. Orphaned Parkways: Over the last two years, installed 10,420 square feet of artificial turf on orphaned street medians that should save 552,260 gallons of water per year. Also, continue to look for inefficient irrigation systems to replace and opportunities to install drought-tolerant plants under this program. Practices:
- Parks summer watering is limited to five times per week.
- Anaheim Resort Area: Watering from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. and only three times per week in winter. Landscape contract requires 3 inches of mulch to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Irrigation systems inspected weekly to prevent runoff.
- Streets: Watering only after 11pm and three times per week in winter.
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City Water Savings Mirrors Anaheim's Decade-Long Trend |
The water savings realized by the City in 2009 follows a decade-long trend of declining water use in Anaheim.
Thanks to Anaheim Public Utilities' efforts to help Anaheim become a water-efficient community, water use - measured by total water sales in gallons per capita per day - has declined from 203 to 174, or 14.3% (Chart 1).
Chart 1 - Total Anaheim Water Use 2000 to 2009 (Total water sales in gallons per capita per day)
In fact, taking a closer look at Anaheim's water use pattern reveals just how much a decade of water conservation work has helped to "de-couple" the traditional relationship between rainfall and water use. In other words, while the typical pattern is that more rain results in lower water use and vice-versa, that pattern is beginning to breakdown in Anaheim.
Thus, Chart 2 provides some cursory evidence that Anaheim is slowly learning how to flourish on less water, regardless of rainfall totals. Chart 2 - Total Anaheim Water Use versus Rainfall 2000 to 2009
While on the surface this appears to be good news, Rick Shintaku, Water Planning and Resources Manager points out, "The challenge going forward is continuing these downward use trends given that many easy solutions have already been done, and given the fact that supplies will continue to tighten due to the severe drought." |
Anaheim Residents Increasingly Vigilant to Water Waste
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Anaheim residents are getting the water conservation message. And, they aren't so bad at sending them too.
Calendar year to date through October 30, 2009, the number of water waste and leak reports submitted by Anaheim customers has risen more than three fold versus the same period last year.
Water Waste & Leak Reports January through October
- 2008: 47
- 2009: 193 (311% increase versus 2008)
As a reminder, water waste can be reported online via Anaheim Anytime by clicking here. |
Anyone from anywhere is invited to participate. The Internet is revolutionizing how we connect with each other and the world we live in. In the City of Anaheim, we want to be on the forefront of offering valuable online "apps" that enhance the many interactions you have with the City to make your life more enjoyable and productive. We're looking for your ideas that will improve the quality of life in Anaheim and the public interaction with our City. To find out more information please click here. |
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Another Billion Gallons in 2010? |
Can Anaheim save another billion gallons? From July 2008 through June 2009, Anaheim cut it's water use by a billion gallons. With the drought continuing, we would like Anaheim to save another billion gallons from July 2009 through June 2010 - enough to serve 7,000 homes per year. To learn how you can help save water and money, click here. |
Save Water Anaheim! |
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Perspective: Anaheim's City Government Water Use in 2009
Anaheim's City government... (All figures from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009)
Is the second largest water user in Anaheim
Used 1.2 billion gallons of water (That's equal to about 1,824 Olympic-sized swimming pools per year or 5 per day)
Made up 6% of total water used in Anaheim (Residential was 59%, Commercial was 35% during the same period)
Used 124 million less gallons of water versus the same period from 2007 through 2008 (That's equal to about 188 Olympic-sized swimming pools per year or about half a pool per day)
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2nd Annual Student Video Contest |
We invite students to create a 30 to 120 second water conservation video to raise awareness of California's water crisis and the need to adopt water-saving habits.
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The contest is open to high school students who either live in Anaheim or attend a high school in Anaheim.
Go here for more information.
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| FALL is Here Not only is it time to change your clocks, but its also time to adjust your outdoor watering.
With cooler fall and winter temperatures on the way, please remember to reduce your your landscape watering.
November
Turf: 2 days per week 9 minutes per watering day
Trees/Shrubs:
2 days per week 4-5 minutes per watering day
December
Turf: 2 days per week 9 minutes per watering day
Trees/Shrubs:
2 days per week 4 minutes per watering day
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Water Rebates |
To learn more about our water conservation rebates and programs click here. |
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Leave a Friendly Reminder |
If you spot water waste, please let us know and we'll send a friendly reminder to the home or business that you think may be the source of the water waste. Call 311 from any Anaheim based landline, (714) 765-4311 from your cell phone, or click here to submit your request.
Click on image below for a larger view of the door hanger:
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Perspective: Anaheim's Water Savings Since 1993
Over the last several years, the entire Southern California region has
lost 280 billion gallons in imported water supplies. This is enough to
serve Anaheim for 12 years. In response, Anaheim has:
104,342 homes Anaheim has reduced annual demand equal to the amount of water needed to serve 104,342 homes.
9 months Anaheim has cut annual water demand equal to 9 months supply for a typical year.
5 times faster As a result, Anaheim has been able to support a population that grew five times faster (36%) than water demand (7%) over the last 20 years.
Let's continue to make progress on getting more out of each drop of water.
Save Water Anaheim! |
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Perspective: Anaheim Residential Water Use versus Orange County
2008 Residential Use Gallons per Capita per Day
Highest: 489 (Orange Park Acres)Lowest: 71 (Santa Ana)Orange County Average: 110 Anaheim residents used 106 gallons per day in 2008. This was 8th lowest out of 29 water providers in Orange County and was 3.8% lower than the countywide average. |
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